May 25, 2016

MAY 25, 2016 | VOLUME XCVIII | ISSUE I BUBBLE MCTEAFACE SINCE 1918

U

P / 03

P / 05

P / 09

P / 11

NEWS

CULTURE

OPINIONS

SPORTS

Province may pass bill mandating sexual assault policy

CVR 2016 was an engaging glimpse of the future

Two gender nonconforming students share thoughts on Fink

UBC tennis is lowkey killing it

THE UBYSSEY

0

CAMPUS FIVE-

A LOOK AT SAFETY AND SECURITY AT UBC / PAGE 6

// PAGE 2

WEDNESDAY, MAY 25, 2016

YOUR GUIDE TO UBC EVENTS & PEOPLE

EVENTS

2

OUR CAMPUS

Filmmaker Leo Zuckerman on creative freedom and audiences of millions THURSDAY 26 JOKES PLEASE! 9 P.M. @ LITTLE MOUNTAIN GALLERY A wonderful little stand-up night in a black box theatre featuring some of Vancouver’s best comics.

$5

FRIDAY 27 TRUMP ROUNDTABLE 5-7 P.M. @ SFU

This panel seeks to shed light on the “Trump phenomenon” by drawing upon the psychoanalysis and social psychology.

FREE PHOTO JEREMY JOHNSON-SILVERS/THE UBYSSEY

“As an independent artist, there are so many skills that [the BFA] doesn’t teach you. What I learned [during my BFA] was film studies, theoretical studying of film, and not applied knowledge, which it should be in my opinion.”

Leo Soh Contributor

SATURDAY 28 TEDXSTANLEYPARK 2016 @ QE THEATRE

Live speakers share innovative solutions to humanity’s challenges with a community of open and curious minds.

$117

ON THE COVER PHOTO/ART BY Aiken Lao

Want to see your events listed here?

Email your event listings to printeditor@ubyssey.ca

U THE UBYSSEY

MAY 25, 2016 | VOLUME XCVIII| ISSUE I BUSINESS

CONTACT

Features Editor Coordinating Editor Olivia Law Jack Hauen coordinating@ubyssey.ca features@ubyssey.ca

Business Manager Austen Erhardt business@ubyssey.ca

Design Editor Aiken Lao printeditor@ubyssey.ca

Ad Sales Kenneth Chang advertising@ ubyssey.ca

Editorial Office: SUB 2208 604.822.2301 Business Office: SUB 2209 ADVERTISING 604.822.2301 INQUIRIES 604.822.2301

EDITORIAL

STAFF

News Editors Sruthi Tadepalli & Samantha McCabe news@ubyssey.ca Culture Editor Sam Du Bois culture@ubyssey.ca Sports + Rec Editor Olamide Olaniyan sports@ubyssey.ca Video Producer Kate Colenbrander video@ubyssey.ca Photo Editor Jeremy Johnson-Silvers photo@ubyssey.ca Opinions + Blog Editor Bailey Ramsay opinions@ubyssey.ca

Operations Ron Gorodetsky operations@ubyssey.ca

LEGAL The Ubyssey is the official student newspaper of the University of British Columbia. It is published every Tuesday by The Ubyssey Publications Society. We are an autonomous, democratically run student organization and all students are encouraged to participate.

Editorials are chosen and written by the Ubyssey staff. They are the expressed opinion of the staff, and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Ubyssey Publications Society or the University of British Columbia. All editorial content appearing in The Ubyssey is the property of The Ubyssey Publications Society. Stories, opinions, photographs and artwork contained herein cannot be reproduced

President Tanner Bokor president@ubyssey.ca without the expressed, written permission of The Ubyssey Publications Society.

The Ubyssey is a founding member of Canadian University Press (CUP) and adheres to CUP’s guiding principles.

Letters to the editor must be under 300 words. Please include your phone number, student number and signature (not for publication) as well as your year and faculty with all submissions. ID will be checked when submissions are dropped off at the editorial office of The Ubyssey; otherwise verification will be done by phone. The Ubyssey reserves the right to edit submissions for length and clarity. All letters must be received

The New Student Union Building 6133 University Boulevard Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1 Online: ubyssey.ca Twitter: @ubyssey by 12 noon the day before intended publication. Letters received after this point will be published in the following issue unless there is an urgent time restriction or other matter deemed relevant by the Ubyssey staff.

It is agreed by all persons placing display or classified advertising that if the Ubyssey Publications Society fails to publish an advertisement or if an error in the ad occurs the liability of the UPS will not be greater than the price paid for the ad. The UPS shall not be responsible for slight changes or typographical errors that do not lessen the value or the impact of the ad.

Traveling the world, spending time with sports celebrities and pursing your artistic passion. It may sound like a dream, but it is how film director and UBC alumnus Leo Zuckerman now describes his life.

Zuckerman grew up in Montreal, but his connection to the west coast began in his childhood years.

“I spent a lot of my summers in Whistler growing up, from 10 years old,” said Zuckerman.

However, he did not initially pursue film, focusing on science and engineering prior to postsecondary education.

“I applied to universities and I put film as a second choice, just because you had to put a second choice when you applied,” he said. “I got into some schools in Montreal for engineering and got into film [at UBC], but not engineering.”

Ultimately, Zuckerman chose to pursue a BFA in film production at UBC. “I was like, I don’t really like engineering that much. I’m gonna try something new, and I just threw a Hail Mary and came out here to do film,” he said.

It was a decision that has paid off handsomely for him. From producing short amateur films shared on Vimeo, Zuckerman has become a film director with Soft Citizen, a top-5 Canadian advertising company, and now manages six-figure production budgets.

His key to success?

“The internet, man. The internet is so powerful. The opportunities are not just in the tech sector – anything that’s related to the internet, there’s just so much potential,” he said. “If you can stand out in that kind of space with an audience of billions –

hundreds of thousands, millions of potential clients see your work.”

Zuckerman’s most recent production was a film on the US One Sailing Team, who he joined on their circuit in China.

“I’m getting the opportunity to do some really cool stuff,” he acknowledged. “Most people can’t go on an America’s Cup class racing boat. To be on that boat and racing is just a completely different perspective. These guys are really, really intense.”

The finished product is a masterpiece, but Zuckerman remembers that acquiring the footage was no easy feat.

“A lot of my clients aren’t necessarily film-savvy, which is difficult,” he said.

US One gave him complete control over the project, which is something Zuckerman always appreciates.

“It’s what any artist hopes for, full creative freedom. Oftentimes, when you’re working on an advertising project you’ve got 15 people telling what you can and cannot do, creatively,” he said. “It’s very restrictive.”

The only problem – “These guys, they didn’t give a shit. They said, ‘We recognize talent. Here’s money, make us something.’”

Because of their cavalier attitude, Zuckerman was unable to stage any shots.

Film production has created other overseas opportunities for Zuckerman. In September 2014, he traveled to New Zealand to direct and shoot a travel short on helicopter-skiing in the Southern Alps. The short aired on Fuel TV AUS and Fox Sports US. “I was more of a talent, since the [TV] show was about creating a film. It was a lot of fun; any opportunity to travel and shoot somewhere new is very enjoyable.

[The show] hasn’t had much acclaim, but I really like it.”

Zuckerman has treaded a long path to his current success. “It started small; edits here and there.

I got a lot of emails, and I had to filter through the bullshit to get to the good stuff.”

“My big break was a job for Canada Tourism through an agency called GCD. They saw my sports stuff, and they were doing an ad for youth travellers,” he said. “That was a key piece for me in terms of going from amateur to taking the next step into advertising and professional tier level production.”

Reflecting on his career, Zuckerman doesn’t regret anything so far. However, he has much criticism for the BFA program at UBC. “As an independent artist, there are so many skills that [the BFA] doesn’t teach you. What I learned [during my BFA] was film studies, theoretical studying of film, and not applied knowledge, which it should be in my opinion.”

Furthermore, Zuckerman believes that the program could do much more to nurture fine arts students as business-savvy entrepreneurs.

“It’s so important. From A to Z. Accounting, client relations, taxes, everything! Just basic, basic stuff that I’ve learnt on my own. It would have been nice to have come out of school knowing practical business operations skills.”

For aspiring artists, Zuckerman’s advice is to take baby steps.

“The most important thing is making stuff. Go out there and shoot something, it doesn’t matter whether it’s on an iPhone or a GoPro. It’s the process of creating that’s going to make you better, and it’s the process of sharing that’s going to get you noticed. You can’t go to class every day and try to learn it off the blackboard; it’s an art, you learn by doing.” U

// NEWS

EDITORS SRUTHI TADEPALLI +SAMANTHA MCCABE

WEDNESDAY, MAY 25, 2016

GOVERNMENT //

New bill may mandate sexual assault policy Sruthi Tadepalli News Editor

The province has introduced a new bill that will require all public post-secondary institutions to have a sexual misconduct policy.

The Sexual Violence and Misconduct Policy Act was tabled on Wednesday – if it passes, it would give universities one year from the time of Royal Assent to establish a working policy.

UBC’s VP Equity and Inclusion, Sara-Jane Finlay, issued a statement in support of the government’s legislation.

“We look forward to continuing to work with the provincial government as this legislation is finalized,” said Finlay.

Finlay noted that UBC is already developing a sexual assault policy in consultation with students, faculty and staff. A draft of this policy will be presented to the Board of Governors in June.

The Sexual Assault Support Centre (SASC)’s manager, Ashley Bentley, acknowledged that UBC is actually ahead of the game when it comes to the new policy’s requirements.

“When it comes to Bill 23, a lot of the requirements that they are requesting that post-secondary institutions have, UBC is already actively thinking about,” said Bentley.

Bubble Tea shop replacing Lowercase cafe in the Nest

PHOTO JEREMY JOHNSON-SILVERS/THE UBYSSEY

Si Jia Wen Contributer

The province may pass a new bill requiring post-secondary institutions to have a sexual assault policy.

Bentley likes that the bill allows some flexibility for postsecondary campuses, showing the awareness that each school is different and likewise needs a slightly different policy.

In this way the bill recognizes that “while we are quite privileged to have a sexual assault centre on campus and have quite a large array of resources, some of the other post-secondary campuses … might not have the same resources or the same amount of funding to address sexual violence on campus,” said Bentley.

In terms of weaknesses, she noted that the bill references students, but fails to acknowledge faculty, staff or visitors to postsecondary campuses.

Glynnis Kirchmeier, a UBC alumnus who recently filed a human-rights complaint over the school’s handling of sexual assault reports, notes another weakness of the bill — its lack of external accountability. The current bill does not require an annual report to the government unless the minister directs it. Kirchmeier thinks that the policy will be undermined by the university not

PHOTO VIA WIKI-COMMONS

being required to report on its effectiveness.

However, Kirchmeier said that such weaknesses in the bill only provides an opportunity for UBC to be a leader to the province.

She thinks that if UBC were to provide consistent reports on the effectiveness of their policy, other universities would follow suit.

“If UBC does it first, I think other universities will follow.

I think that this will be true whether UBC reneges on its responsibilities or whether UBC decides to be a visionary leader,” said Kirchmeier. U

UBC considers ban on faculty-student relationships

There are many things to consider when creating guidelines for student-professor relationships.

UBC’s interim President Martha Piper announced at a meeting with journalists that she would consider barring student-professor relationships.

Current conflict-of-interest policies at UBC state that professors and students are permitted to date as long as the professor discloses it to the university and ensures that somebody else is marking or evaluating the student’s work.

The policy also requires staff members dating people in the same department to disclose their relationship.

However, Piper has started to question whether this policy is enough.

AMS //

A contest will be held to find a suitable name for this new shop.

POLICY //

Joshua Azzizi Staff Writer

3

“While these provisions are in place, I still remain concerned about how ‘consent’ and ‘conflict’ are defined in an environment where there is a power imbalance,” said Piper in an e-mailed statement to The Ubyssey. “On the one hand, we need to respect the decisions of consenting adults, and on the other ensure that the rights and interests of students are appropriately protected.”

According to Sara-Jane Finlay, associate VP of equity and inclusion at UBC, both students and faculty members can be placed in a very vulnerable position if they are in a personal relationship with each other.

She cited both blackmail and exploitation as possible negative

FILE PHOTO IVAN YASTREBOV/THE UBYSSEY

outcomes of student-teacher relationships if no protections or guidelines are in place.

“There could be blackmail both ways in terms of getting good marks,” said Finlay. “The student could try to hold them accountable for things they’ve said and done.”

Neither Finlay nor Piper are aware of any universities in Canada that have put such a ban in place.

In the United States, universities such as Yale and Northwestern have placed bans on studentteacher relationships altogether.

Harvard allows them only between graduate students and professors as long as the professor isn’t grading the student’s work.

Finlay noted that she couldn’t see a similar ban being put into place at UBC without a significant

amount of conversation between students, faculty and professors.

“I think we need to think very carefully about it. Our students and our faculty are all consenting adults and I think it would be a significant change to the way in which we think about both our students and our faculty if we were going to put something like this in place,” said Finlay.

Piper expressed a similar view in her statement.

“I think it’s important that university leaders engage faculty, students, staff and leading experts in discussing and examining this complex issue,” said Piper.

UBC is currently developing a sexual assault policy after a string of allegations against a PhD candidate were poorly managed. Finlay explained that with the development of the sexual assault policy going ahead, the idea of a ban on studentteacher relationships is one that has been discussed much more in the press than among actual UBC administration.

“Certainly in the work that we’ve been doing around the sexual assault policy, this isn’t something that has been raised by any members of our community,” said Finlay. “This idea and notion has brought a discussion in the press and not out of any of the work that we’re currently doing.”

Finlay also added that more information should be gathered before UBC can determine whether or not a policy that bans student-professor relationships should be put in place. U

A new bubble tea shop is officially finding its home in the new SUB. At the last AMS Council meeting, it was announced that a bubble tea shop will be opening in the Nest this summer. It will be taking the spot of the former Lowercase coffee shop on the basement level.

AMS President Ava Nasiri said that this change was based on student feedback with the goal of providing students with their choice of food options.

“From the perspective of the research team, one key thing we recognized is that bubble tea is popular amongst students,” said Nasiri. “It was both feedback from students, as well as feasibility and likelihood, that it could be something provided [on campus].”

UBC’s closest bubble tea shop is currently located in the Village, causing students to have to go out of their way to obtain their bubble tea fix.

According to Nasiri, the bubble tea shop will not offer extensive drink flavours, but will be aiming for product quality over quantity.

“We may not be providing 400 options, but [we will provide] options of better quality,” said Nasiri.

The same research team also determined that there was no longer a need for Lowercase to act as overflow for Uppercase. The reason for its closure was operational rather than financial.

“One thing that we recognized is that it’s so efficient at Uppercase that we no longer need Lowercase,” said Nasiri. “The team at Uppercase is doing so phenomenally well and students are working so efficiently that we haven’t had the issue of super long line-ups.”

The bubble tea shop follows the consistently growing list of AMS businesses. It joins The Pit, Pie R Squared, and Peko Peko – where every dollar spent goes back to subsidizing student-run services including Safewalk, the food bank, Speakeasy and tutoring.

In anticipation of the shop’s opening, the AMS will be running a university-wide contest to name it. Students will get the chance to submit a name for the store, and the student who submits the winning name will have a drink named after them. The contest will launch this summer, but there has yet to be a release date set.

As an AMS business, the AMS will determine the food and drink options. It hopes to involve students in the process by hosting consultations, surveys, and focus groups.

“It’s all about accessibility for students and what they want, so that’s where consultation comes in,” said Nasiri. “Our governing principle is that we keep up and stay flexible.” U

4 | news |

WEDNESDAY, MAY 25, 2016

ENVIRONMENT //

UBC and contractor charged with Federal Fisheries Act violations

The university has been charged after ammonia was allegedly dicharged into a campus storm sewer

Sophie Sutcliffe Staff Writer

UBC and CIMCO Refrigeration, a contracting company hired

by the university, have been jointly charged with Federal Fisheries Act violations. These charges stem from an incident on September 12, 2014 in

which ammonia was allegedly discharged into a storm sewer on UBC’s Vancouver campus.

The storm sewer feeds into Booming Ground Creek, a fish

PHOTO FRANK FUCILE VIA FLICKR

bearing stream close in proximity to the mouth of the Fraser River and a sensitive marsh. According to a 2002 study, although there are some fish species

that can tolerate high levels of environmental ammonia, the chemical is ultimately toxic to all vertebrates in high enough concentrations.

“UBC responded within hours of learning about the possible discharge in 2014 and instructed CIMCO to cease its work immediately,” said Susan Danard of UBC Public Affairs in an emailed statement to The Ubyssey.

According to Danard, the alleged discharge occurred while CIMCO was conducting repair work on a chiller used to maintain the ice at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sport Centre.

The university and CIMCO Refrigeration were both charged on four counts, including one for failing to notify the appropriate authorities “without delay.”

Danard, however, stated that UBC “cooperated fully with federal and other authorities in their investigations of the 2014 incident.” The co-accused were both additionally charged with the deposit of deleterious substances.

Danard also said that “UBC is committed to the prevention of any unlawful discharge into its stormwater system” and that it’s continuing to review the circumstances of the incident.

The next appearance for both CIMCO Refrigeration and UBC is set for June 21, 2016 in the Richmond Provincial Court. A hearing or trial date will be set at that time. U

CRIME //

Brooklyn Fink pleads not guilty to mischief charge Samantha McCabe News Editor

Brooklyn Fink, the woman charged with mischief for burning down the UBC pride flag in February, had her most recent appearance in court May 17.

Fink has admitted to burning down the pride flag.

As the CBC reported, “Fink, 31, is transsexual and calls the rainbow pride flag an ‘offensive’ and noninclusive symbol.” CBC also quoted her as saying, “As a media artist, I intended in burning the flag only to illustrate my displeasure at the university’s failure to come to an agreement on the fact of the flag’s offensiveness.”

However, Fink pled not guilty to her charge in front of a judge today in Richmond Provincial Court.

“In the interest of public health and safety, I plead not guilty,” said Fink.

Fink was charged under section 430(4) of the Canadian Criminal Code, which stipulates that this charge would be against “every one who commits mischief in relation to property, other than property [exceeding a value of over five

thousand dollars].”

Initially, the act was viewed as most likely a hate crime and the university described it as “an act of hate and in contravention of the values of equity, inclusion and respect deeply held by the university community.” But in recent interviews with multiple media outlets, Fink ­— a transsexual UBC student — has revealed that she views her actions as a form of protest against the fault that she sees in the inclusion of transsexual people in the LGBT spectrum.

“It’s a medical condition. It doesn’t have to be a gay, lesbian, bisexual issue,” she told The Ubyssey outside of the courthouse, speaking on transgender and transsexual rights.

She explained further in an interview with Vice, speaking about queer activists in saying that “transsexual patients [like me] try to stay anonymous and silent, and they’re bringing attention onto us.”

During her appearance on May 17, Fink was representing herself, but was urged by both the prosecution and the judge to seek legal counsel before her next court date.

Brooklyn Fink spoke outside the Richmond Courthouse after her latest appearance in court.

“I will seek legal advice,” said Fink to The Ubyssey after the proceedings. “I have no fear to represent myself, but Ms. Lawton,

the Crown Counsel … gave me good advice and I will follow her advice.”

The matter will go to trial for three days next year, from March

PHOTO SRUTHI TADEPALLI / THE UBYSSEY

15 to 17 in 2017. Fink has also been reportedly suspended from UBC, with a decision from the university to come later in the month. U

// CULTURE

EDITOR SAM DU BOIS

WEDNESDAY, MAY 25, 2016

5

TECHNOLOGY //

CVR 2016 showcased the future of VR in Vancouver Nehal Udyavar Contributor

Hosted by Vancouver’s Archiact Interactive, a full service virtual reality studio, CVR 2016 (Consumer Virtual Reality exhibition) provided consumers like myself with a glimpse of the future — one where our notions of entertainment, education, journalism and technology are completely transformed. With over 2,000 people streaming through the exhibition doors to explore this new technology, the event was an indisputable success and a clear indication that Vancouver is capable of fostering this growing industry.

The incredible turnout for CVR 2016 appeared to be both a marvel and an obstacle. While the public and the exhibitors alike were amazed by the ceaseless flow of people, the event seemed noticeably unprepared for it.

The story inside was quite similar. Demo lines, even the ones for small booths, took over an hour, with the popular VRstudios motion-capture shooting game supposedly clocking a mindboggling four hour wait for a 10 minute demo. However, the people attending were unfazed. There was some cheerful conversation during registration about what might be in store for them that afternoon, and inside everyone eagerly awaited their turn for whatever world they were about to enter. The exhibitors too were tireless in their passion and dedication towards making sure everyone enjoyed their few minutes of immersion.

From a technological perspective, the exhibition was no less impressive. Exhibitors displayed the latest in VR technology and notable panelists presented insightful discussions about VR design, entertainment, education, journalism and the future of the technology. I got to try out the HTC Vive and its famed motion-capture system, along with the Oculus Rift, Gear VR and numerous games, apps and other forms of immersive entertainment.

The virtual reality industry is currently comprised largely of different forms of games and entertainment, but the event made a noteworthy effort of encouraging its smaller applications such as education, commerce and journalism. This resulted in an exceptionally versatile event that Archiact is sure to set as the foundation for future CVR conventions.

GAMES Virtual reality is a still a developing industry. While the technology has the potential to be applied to a variety of fields, the entry market is mainly games and entertainment. As a result, most of the booths in CVR 2016 featured immersive games, much to the avail of the hundreds of kids scampering around the exhibition hall.

The big ticket items were VRstudios’ Barking Irons, a wild west shootout played in a six-bysix meter motion-capture zone; Cloudhead Games’ The Gallery: Call of Starseed, a role-playing game where you play Alex, looking

Consumers experienced everything from games to documentaries in virtual reality.

for your missing sister; and a variety of compelling games published by the host, Archiact Interactive.

There were countless other smaller publications, including the National Film Board of Canada’s Cardboard Crash, which explores the complicated issue of ethics behind AI decision-making in a charming, but allegorical way.

CVR 2016 was my first time dabbling in the world of VR, and the immersive experiences were far better than I had imagined, though none came close to the remarkably breathtaking adventure of being Alex in Cloudhead Games’ ’80s-inspired game The Gallery.

My 15 minute demo, which I had to schedule a staggering six and a half hours in advance, began with a short tutorial on moving and grabbing objects using the two Vive controllers, which was demonstrated in this Tron-like virtual arena where I smashed luminescent glass bottles on cement pillars. I vividly remember spending the first minute just staring down, watching myself curl my robotic hands into fists repeatedly. My physical movement was tracked by two incredibly precise motion sensors, allowing my VR avatar to instantaneously respond to my walking, jumping, crouching or any sort of physical movement — believe me, I put it through an arduous test.

Moving large distances, however, was accomplished through an established teleportation trick that was enhanced and seamlessly integrated into The Gallery by the team at Cloudhead Games.

The moment the actual game began was quite astonishing. The bewildering sensation of looking around and comprehending this strange world I was thrust into was awe-inspiring. Soon after, I heard the voice of a young girl and in that instant, I became Alex, wandering a derelict environment looking for my missing sister.

Thanks to the astonishingly precise motion-tracking technology courtesy of HTC, my interactions

with objects in the game felt very natural, very real. One of my first interactions in the game was picking up a tape-recorder, then using my other hand to pick up a cassette and inserting it into the recorder. While it’s an innate procedure in everyday life, recreating this feeling in VR is quite difficult, especially to a degree where it feels so natural.

While high-quality graphics are key to immersion in virtual reality, my short experience playing the game made me realize that a deeper form of immersion was achieved through its purpose. In The Gallery, my goal as Alex was to unravel the mystery behind my missing sister. It’s with this purpose in mind that solving all the puzzles and piecing together all the hints becomes a self-fulfilling, emotional experience. Being immersed in The Gallery reminded me of my experience playing The Last of Us, where the technological excellence of the game was enriched by the emotional attachment I formed with the characters. It was only a 15-minute demo, but I believe The Gallery has achieved that narrative distinction, which I hope is continued throughout Episode 1 and the remainder of the series.

EDUCATION Over the last few years, a number of companies have entered the education market by providing schools with packaged educational content, VR tools to pursue topics of interest in a flexible environment, as well as instructor training. Numerous studies, research publications and articles have attested for virtual reality’s immersive experience being significantly beneficial to students and users as a form of learning.

As the technology develops it is sure to offer schools, universities and research institutions a new dimension for education.

At CVR 2016, the principal advocator of VR education was foundry10, a non-profit research organization that studies learning

PHOTO JEREMY JOHNSON-SILVERS/THE UBYSSEY

based in Seattle. Self-described as the catalyst for the development and implementation of ideas that enhance creativity and learning experiences, the team at foundry10 strives to understand how people learn and what learning should look like. More importantly, they provide the tools and opportunities to children and teens to pursue topics of interest and create things of value. Their research and outreach programs cover a diverse range of topics, from robotics and virtual reality to hip-hop dance.

Lisa Castaneda, CEO of foundry10, and her team are currently running a pilot VR program in six different schools, researching the implementation and use of VR in the classroom setting. In addition, the organization will be running an experimental study exploring learning in VR versus traditional learning. The company is extremely interested in virtual reality’s potential to enhance learning in everyday classroom settings, and it holds high hopes for the growth of the industry.

I got the chance to speak to Tom Swanson and Colin Katagiri, two members of the foundry10 team who discussed education in VR as panelists during the conference.

They described the various student-focused programs they are running from the implementation models they’re testing, to the ground feedback they’re receiving from teachers and students. It’s still a work in progress, but so far they are very optimistic about VR’s potential and its impact on education around the world.

JOURNALISM VR provides a new, exciting medium to watch and experience journalistic media. At CVR 2016, I watched a short clip from Hidden in Plain Sight, a documentary co-created by UBC’s International Reporting Program and VICE News that aims to explore the issue of migration and HIV in Chile.

The clip was only about three to five minutes long, but it feels significantly longer once you’re immersed in the Chilean landscape.

I’ve watched my fair share of documentaries with somber themes and grim circumstances, but the riveting experience through VR was something else. I felt like I was walking the streets of Chile with an invisibility cloak, through the hospitals and villages and homes of Chilean residents. I could see them, tormented by pain and misery, but they could not see me. It invoked a heightened sense of sorrow and sympathy and other feelings I find difficult to describe.

The interviews with the Chilean victims, too, felt much more personal and intimate.

From my short taste of VR journalism, I hypothesized that the key to this medium of storytelling is to let the audience explore it themselves, let them witness the events rather than imposing a rigid direction. I believe that for it to be most effective, it must be treated differently than traditional film, with new techniques and trains of thought designed for immersive storytelling.

My infant conjecture, speculated minutes after my first experience, was later endorsed and more eloquently illustrated by Taylor Owen, assistant professor of digital media and global affairs at UBC. As part of a three-person panel including Maria Lantin, director at the S3D Centre, and Alexandra Samuel, contributor for Harvard Business Review, Mr. Owen discussed VR as a medium for journalism, its ramifications and its capabilities.

“With other forms of journalism, the act of representation is transparent.

In VR, it’s a little different. You are trying to trick the user into thinking they’re there. You are trying to immerse them in a place they otherwise would not be able to experience. That presents a whole bunch of ethical considerations because these scenes are highly constructed,” Mr. Owen clarified in a statement to The Globe and Mail.

Mr. Owen’s research explores the new narrative form for virtual reality, but also examines the core journalistic questions the medium challenges. He, and countless others, recognize the astounding potential for journalism in virtual reality. Despite predicting that it will only play a minor role in the VR ecosystem, they encourage users and journalists to fully utilize this immersive medium.

CVR 2016 was a wondrous success. The combination of immersive demonstrations and informative presentations was an excellent way to both dazzle and educate the enthusiastic audience.

The logistical issue of lengthy lines is reasonable considering that this was the first event hosted

by Archiact on this scale and the incredible turnout was justifiably unanticipated. Archiact has shown that Vancouver can influence the global virtual reality industry and it will be immensely exciting to see the growth and progress of virtual reality in CVR 2017. U

6 | FEATURES |

WEDNESDAY, MAY 25, 2016

CAMPUS FIVE-0: A LOOK AT SAFETY AND SECURITY AT UBC the attributions of campus security are once again under scrutiny — mostly by students emphatic about feeling safe on the grounds that they call work and home.

“

I called campus security on my phone using the number that was on the website, and it just rang and rang and rang,” said Iain Marjoribanks, a fifthyear geography student at UBC, in an interview with The Ubyssey.

He had left one of his personal belongings in a campus building and was trying to gain access back into the building just after 11 p.m. that same night.

“I finally got fed up and walked up to [the nearest] blue phone … and pushed the button. It was like it was rusted shut. I just thought, ‘Wow, this is kind of ridiculous. What if this really was an emergency, what if somebody was attacking me?’”

As a self-dubbed “big guy,” Marjoribanks describes not being afraid for himself so much as he is concerned about what the events of that night unveil and about how those more vulnerable than him could suffer.

Allegations such as these — involving some of the facets of UBC’s campus security team regarded by many as crucial to the safety measures at UBC — are disturbing at any point in the school year, but especially so in light of the numerous recent incidents on campus.

In a manner eerily similar to the actions taken after the string

of assaults that took place in 2013, the attributions of campus security are once again under scrutiny — mostly by students emphatic about feeling safe on the grounds that they call work and home. While the incidences have seemingly halted for the time being, students are still complaining about the wait times for Safewalk, more blue phones not working properly and dark, empty regions of campus that seem like glaring red danger zones at night for a vulnerable individual. But is security on campus compromised?

Are these complaints warranted?

Here’s the good news — in early April, a team of three security professionals from various backgrounds came to both of the UBC campuses for one week total, examining every facet of safety.

Louise Cowin, VP Students, expects the results of that review to come back in June with their publication to come soon after. In her current role, campus security falls under her portfolio.

“Truthfully, there’s nothing on that scope, but we’re really now waiting for the recommendations from the campus security review.

That was the reason for that review,” said Cowin when asked about whether there are any initiatives to improve security on campus in progress. “We haven’t

reviewed that unit — general notions of campus security — for a long time. Nobody actually knows how long. I imagine that there will be a number of initiatives coming from those recommendations.”

LOOKING AT CAMPUS SECURITY A university at night can be an unsettling place to walk around alone. Bushes, expansive buildings and random side-paths are practically unavoidable and you won’t find classrooms packed with students at 11 p.m.

On a campus as huge as that of the more than 400 hectares that make up Point Grey, keeping students safe and secure is a daunting task mainly undertaken by the four most visible services on campus: the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Campus Security, Blue Phones and the student-operated AMS Safewalk program.

These four facets of campus security work in conjunction with each other to provide students with the most complete and thorough balloon of safety possible. While Campus Security is actually only responsible for the academic lands of the university, the RCMP’s area of coverage extends over the entire University Endowment Lands.

However, it should be noted that the

RCMP have many more resources available to them with which to thoroughly cover this additional area.

“The police are law enforcement, we are security.

We are very different — we are non-emergency while [the RCMP] deals with emergencies,” said Barry Eccleton, head of Campus Security.

While students can report criminal incidents to Campus Security, they will strongly encourage such reports to be passed on to the RCMP. “We don’t investigate, we actually just take reports as they are provided to us,” said Eccleton.

The RCMP is responsible for any reported criminal events that happen on campus as well as the investigation aspect of cases.

Examples are the six arrests spoken about in a recent press release, two of which took place on campus.

They also can sometimes be seen patrolling the grounds, especially in times of incident or event.

“Our staffing levels are consistent for the most part with the exception of special events, when we will bring extra people in,” said Constable Ian Sim, community liaison officer for the RCMP. “The recent incidents of sexual assault resulted in us bringing in a number of extra police officers for dedicated foot patrols around student

residences. It’s either event-related or problem-related.”

The UBC Campus Security team alone is made up of close to 100 staff, which includes patrol officers and administration. Eccleton would not disclose the number of patrol officers on campus at any given time, reportedly for security reasons.

According to the Campus Security website, “the group consists of a 24/7 [communications operations] along with patrol officer teams who operate on bike, on foot and by vehicle. We monitor and respond to approximately 500 security alarms and other notification systems, including Campus Blue phones strategically located across campus and in our buildings.”

Blue Phones have been a staple on campus since the mid-nineties and were recently almost doubled in number — a good increased security measure on campus, even though it took three years to complete after the working group report that recommended the change. At that same time, each phone was equipped with a camera, which activates and begins recording only if someone presses the button on the phone.

Allegations that Blue Phones are not working properly — whether

WEDNESDAY, MAY 25, 2016

they are not in service because they fall in construction zones (five of them as of March 24) or that the buttons don’t work and therefore the phone is useless — are getting more numerous recently. But according to Eccleton, the phones are frequently serviced.

“We test all the phones twice a week,” said Eccleton. “There’s new software coming in about a week … and the software will indicate to us immediately when any phone ceases to be operational.”

As the fourth central component of UBC security, Safewalk is a student-operated service that typically operates from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. each night.

Two walking teams and one car team — implemented after adjustments to the service in 2013 — patrol campus, picking up students and escorting them back to their homes on campus.

“If it’s really busy, often [Campus Security] will pick up the slack if we’re being totally swamped. But for the most part, we encourage people to call Safewalk first,” said Elizabeth Reigert, AMS Safewalk Coordinator.

Reigert noted that after the sexual assaults in 2013, the number of walks that Safewalk did each night increased from 15 to 20 to about 60 to 100, and that higher number has remained reasonably steady over the years, especially this past school year.

She added that after the recent break-in on campus, numbers increased again for a week or so.

“The wait times can get upwards of 30 to 45 minutes, which is really unfair for the people who are calling because they’re afraid,” said Reigert.

“We’re working on possibly adding a third team. Nothing’s confirmed yet of course, but just for the main hub of campus.”

According to Reigert, the Safewalk team is also working towards new initiatives like their app, designed specifically to make their dispatch more effective.

WHAT’S CHANGING? Even though Cowin acknowledges that the university currently has no projects concerning safety, developments are slowly being made. The question is whether these developments are enough to keep up with the changing aspects of campus and the higher rates of assault-related crime that UBC has seen in the last few years. The last time the number significantly increased was in 2013. Back then, it was in turn paired with significantly increased media attention and significant changes were made.

In 2013, the Campus Safety Working Group was implemented by former UBC President Stephen Toope from 2006 to 2014 to conduct a review of campus safety following the sexual assault incidences. “[Toope] and the executive thought that we as the university needed to get a better handle on our safety and the safety to the community that we provide and how it could get better,” said Cowin.

For one, they suggested an overhaul of the campus grounds to minimize environmental threats, which included trimming back bushes, increasing lighting in the dark areas of campus and maintaining clear sight lines including of secluded areas. The increase in

the number of Blue Phones was another recommendation of the group.

The working group still exists and meets today, and is constantly looking at the existing security infrastructure and how to improve.

“We are looking at all possible future initiatives that we believe will make the community a safer place,” said Eccleton, a member of the working group. He described their recent project of creating a checklist of safety and security items that the security team recommends all building managers implement.

“We’re constantly evolving out of necessity,” said Constable Sim on behalf of the RCMP when asked about what has changed about the university RCMP force in recent years. “You have to keep up with the emerging trends and the emerging threats.”

Implementing more external cameras around campus has been a huge point of debate lately in the ongoing effort to improve security on campus. Currently, there are several indoor cameras at high traffic/risk areas like dorms and the Museum of Anthropology, external cameras at the bus loop and incident-activated cameras on the Blue Phones. But other than that, no external cameras are placed around campus. “[Having] cameras strategically located at high-risk locations like student residences and libraries, those discussions are being heard,” said Eccleton. “We need to be very thoughtful in our response to request for further cameras. It has to be a good safety reason why we would need to attain those.”

While external cameras would provide a valuable additional safety feature to the

university, there are concerns about what their implementation around campus would do to privacy. In December, 2015, the new Policy 118 on cameras was approved by the Board of Governors after consultation, which outlines where cameras can be placed and how long the footage can be kept. According to the policy, signage must be posted to notify the public of camera positions and recorded imagery cannot be held for longer than 30 days.

“The recent string of assaults on campus have certainly raised that question [about cameras on campus]. Should they be placed outside of entrances of residence, should they be used outside of the entrances of libraries, those kinds of questions,” said Cowin. “I actually think that the recommendation from the security review might also point in that direction as well. I think we should look at those recommendations when they come in and ask ourselves again the question of safety and community appetite with respect to cameras.”

“Cameras are just one safety tool and we need to emphasize the fact that all these different tools available to us on campus — including cameras — play a role,” said Eccleton in slight contrast.

Security and safety, especially on a plateau as huge and diverse as that of UBC, are complicated issues fueled by campus resources, environmental measures and security bodies. The same initiative that was shown after the 2013 assaults will hopefully emerge again following the release of the externally conducted security report to be released in June.

| FEATURES | 7

STUDENTS ARE KEY When speaking about the lack of student opinion that fuels campus security initiatives, Eccleton acknowledges that security could be doing better in that department.

“That’s one of the areas we can perhaps get better at,” said Eccleton. “We want to create this welcoming environment where people feel comfortable coming up to us and expressing their needs or concerns. That’s an objective [of ours] — we need to get better at that.”

There is a section on the UBC Campus Security website that allows students to submit feedback to the team. Eccleton also sees the value in organizing future initiatives like forums for students and other community members to discuss safety and security.

While the behind-the-scenes workings of the university are never entirely clear, even after diligent research on the topic, a key sign of whether campus security is effective is whether students feel safe. Until students feel safe, the job is not complete.

Overall, Eccleton wants to emphasize the role that students play in their own safety and the safety of their peers.

“The overall message is just to look out for each other. At the end of the day, the university can provide lots of tools, but we also all play a role in looking out for each other because the safety of each other and the safety of our friends is very important,” he said.

“My personal view is that personal safety is an ongoing frame of mind, all the time. It’s not seasonal or dependent on a single arrest,” said Constable Sim. U

“We are looking at all possible future initiatives that we believe will make the community a safer place.”

- barry Eccleton, head of campus security

8 | culture |

WEDNESDAY, MAY 25, 2016

NIGHTLIFE //

M.I.A. is an intimate place to explore underground music Luc Briedé-Cooper Contributor

Ten feet below street level, in the core of Gastown is one of Blueprint’s newest underground clubs, M.I.A. About a year ago M.I.A. (Missing in Action) replaced the famous Shine Nightclub, continuing the area’s 20+ year reputation for harbouring alternative and underground communities of electronic music.

M.I.A. is a loud, immersive and modern nightclub with an intimate atmosphere that features a worldclass Funktion One sound system.

I highly recommend exploring M.I.A.’s passionate deviation from the Top 40/EDM standard of the Granville strip.

Entering M.I.A. is like entering a space ship. A tunneling hallway entirely lit by geometric LED lights opens to a dance floor with a low ceiling embedded with rotating wash lights and a network of pulsing LED strips that extend to each corner of the room. Between the two bars at opposite ends of the

room is a compact DJ booth raised only slightly above floor-level, keeping the DJ in close proximity to the dancers. At M.I.A. the use of cellphones is politely discouraged in event posters and on their website, though this is ultimately not reinforceable and people use them anyway.

The atmosphere is warm and lush and you can expect to have to either stand or dance (as you should!) because the lounge seating off to the side will be occupied on a busy night. When internationally renowned special guests such as DJ Sneak, Justin Martin, Ben UFO or Green Velvet came to M.I.A. the floor was crowded towards the front. That said, I have almost always found it comfortable with negligible elbowing or rogue fist bumps.

M.I.A.’s music changes considerably between nights of the week. I’m a regular attendee of their Deep Down Inside Saturday nights (likely named after the classic 90’s deep house song Deep Inside by Hardrive) because it

features deep house and techno.

There is also FVDED Fridays featuring open format bass music, special guests and record label showcases introducing their own unique styles. I had the pleasure to meet some of the regular Saturday opening DJs such as Iain Howie, Jared Love and Jay Tripwire. UBC students have the opportunity to get a taste of these local DJs at the Koerner’s Secret Garden series this summer hosted by the Sunwave artist collective.

M.I.A. is great for dancing but if you want to hang out, you should reserve a VIP booth across from the sound system, with standard club prices for drinks.

The club could benefit from a second dance floor, perhaps even a full sized designated chill-out lounge with its own DJs to give dancers a place to rest and relax, but it is better for exploring music over its various nights than the venue itself.

There are very few venues in Vancouver that can attract huge international artists to such an

PHOTO COURTESY BLUEPRINT

M.I.A. sports a world-class sound system and a space age style.

intimate space. Some describe the club as grimy but it may be better described as intimate with its low ceiling and proximity to the DJ. This unique and desirable atmosphere is completed with exceptional audio visuals, from the sensuous LED installations and powerful Funktion One sound system. M.I.A. is particularly

convenient for UBC students because the club closes at 3 a.m., coinciding with the last night bus back to UBC, the N17, at around 3:15 p.m. M.I.A. is a welcome break form the occasionally superficial environment of the Granville strip. It is a great place to explore. If you go for the music you will not be disappointed. U

MOA //

Unceded Territories at MOA is powerful and political

The exhibit features art from all stages of Yuxwelupun’s long career.

Samuel Du Bois Culture Editor

On May 10, the opening of Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun’s Unceded Territories exhibit was held with an audience of approximately 1,800 in attendance.

The opening marked what is evidently hoped to be a moment of profound significance to the artistic, native and activist communities of Vancouver, as well as a demonstration of the amassed impressiveness of four decades of powerful artistic practice displayed in one place.

The night began with most of the immense crowd bypassing the overpriced wine and beer to make a beeline for the main room of the museum where everyone was pushed shoulder to shoulder in an attempt to get closer to the podium on the right side.

“In the 20 years since that

exhibition and particularly in the last few years, Canadian society and anthropology has undergone huge changes,” said Anthony Shelton in his opening comments, “But Yuxweluptun’s message and vision has been clear and constant. It would almost have been unimaginable 20 years ago to foresee an exhibition like this taking place in an anthropology museum. Today we take political decisions and try to disinvest ourselves for our historical legacy, which is inconceivable that such an exhibition should not be curated in such a hypocritical environment as this. We are proud and we are excited to present this major show of your work.”

Shelton also observed above the background chatter of people coming inside that it was, “a cause for celebration that today’s opening coincides with the government of Canada’s official

PHOTO JEREMY JOHNSON-SILVERS /THE UBYSSEY

adoption of the UN’s declaration of the rights of indigenous people.”

When Mr. Yuxweluptun took to the stand, it was to excited cheers followed by a swift silence. Even when struggling to see over a large crowd, his presence was palpable and his voice instantly commanded attention.

“This journey started,” he said in a calm, deep voice, “a long time ago in residential school. I was a witness. I was there. So many thoughtful children died there and I wanted to remember them. There was a lot of things that I lost.” He was evidently struggling through emotion and though sparing, his words were powerful. The silence was punctuated by many in the audience similarly trying to hold back tears. “My friend spoke to me tonight. I couldn’t understand because I lost that language.”

Yuxweluptun spoke about his decision to go to public school

when it was made legal, and the exposure this gave him to the great artists of Europe. Through this and his understanding of native art, he described his journey to becoming, as he put it, “a masked dancer,” in a spiritual journey that was evidently rife with pain.

“I had a pain in my heart that wouldn’t go away. It was a sorrowful feeling of watching the planet die.” With this he continued on to a cause that is evident throughout many of his works, the environment, “I don’t want my children to wake up to oil spilled on the West Coast. I want all of you to come together and stop oil pipelines from coming through these territories.”

His statements were met with almost unanimous cheers and applause. Yuxweluptun’s eloquence and strength made his words powerful and affecting.

He is evidently a man of certain conviction, who says what he means and knows to be right, regardless of popularity or controversy.

“It is time to change the name of British Columbia to our traditional territories of all first nations. You are not looking after this land. This is our land. We are the protectors. Every native person born on sovereignty of being is the caretaker. It is their responsibility. Don’t ask us to sign anything. I want our chief to put down the pen and say let’s make a new deal. Lets share this land fairly. No usufructuary right. I don’t need our aboriginal people to be usufructed every day under colonial rule. If we are going to United Nations and Canada to sign the declaration then I expect them to live up to it.”

This final proclamation was, perhaps unsurprisingly, an audacious one and was what truly set the exhibition apart from many others. Whereas some displays ask a viewer to passively interpret their works with a sense

of distance and removal, suddenly Yuxweluptun’s show became a political movement, and every viewer a participant in it. Pins saying things like, “rename BC” filled bowls at the tables where people talked, and posters were for sale in the gift shop alongside a book of his work.

Upon entering the exhibition space, the viewer is surrounded by canvases of immense size and sporting a wide, beautiful array of colours. Yuxweluptun’s works at times invoke the surreal landscapes of Salvador Dali, but with the very distinct and inventive use of Native American styles.

There is a very clear evolution to his works, but always with a full understanding of the cause that motivated them to be made. Each piece, no matter the medium, feels fully realized and unique, while managing to be both aesthetically beautiful and intellectually rich. It was very easy to see why these works are so coveted and expensive.

The show is a powerful demonstration of an artist’s thriving legacy and influence.

From the opening statements, to the immense crowd and long line of people looking to get autographs and photos from the artist himself, there was the strong sense that something important was taking place. The paintings are tied to just causes and a moral certainty which we, as an audience, are sadly only now truly starting to listen to and do something about.

In his closing comments, Yuxweluptun said, “I’m not always angry, but I do get mad at the world and when I do, I take my frustrations out on making paintings for the world.”

Yuxweluptun’s paintings can be seen at the Museum of Anthropology until October 16th. More can be learned about his campaign to change British Columbia’s name at renamebc.ca. U

// OPINIONS

EDITOR BAILEY RAMSAY

WEDNESDAY, MAY 25, 2016

MENTAL HEALTH //

Mind your mind: Self-care is hard but necessary Daphnée Lévesque Contributor

As students attending one of the top universities in the world, we often walk the line between what it means to be a committed student versus flirting with self-endangerment. We sacrifice our own well-being, fail to take a step back when we most need it and romanticize drinking three cups of coffee a day. Sometimes, we even thrive on unresolved inner turmoil and sleepless nights.

I don’t feel entitled to be the authority on a subject as important as self-care, but I can argue that selfcare is a daily practice, an ongoing process and different for everyone.

Although the line between self-care and selfishness can be somewhat blurred, the difference between the two is crystal clear — being selfish is unnecessary and taking care of yourself needs to be made a priority.

To me, when anticipating a bad day, self-care means putting on your favourite pair of underwear anyway when you get out of bed. It means

cultivating mindfulness, embracing self-respect and being afraid of reaching out for help... but doing so anyway.

It’s knowing when you need retail therapy versus real psychotherapy — the latter being more expensive, but definitely more useful than the new pair of shoes you got yesterday.

Self-care means honouring the fact that it’s okay not to feel okay and then making conscious, active choices in the hopes of feeling better.

And, I’m not going to lie, sometimes self-care is making all the right choices over the fun and still ending up feeling like absolute shit.

It’s framing every decision you make by asking yourself, “Will this bring me short-term pleasure or longterm happiness?” It’s the difference between pursuing activities that promote instant gratification versus making intentional choices that may not make you feel good on the spot, but will definitely benefit your sense of well-being in the long run.

It’s hard. It’s fucking hard, and it requires time, effort and

ILLUSTRATION STEPHANIE WU/THE UBYSSEY

determination. But it’s also an important part of finding happiness, especially when you’re striving to become the best version of yourself.

What self-care looks like is different for everybody, but one of the most empowering forms of

self-care is responsibility. Self-care is about choosing how I treat myself and how I let others treat me, facing my fears and setting clear boundaries, and cultivating an attitude towards my life that says, “I am responsible for myself, my choices and my overall health.” U

FLAG BURNING //

Letter: Brooklyn Fink, burning the pride flag was not an act of activism Alexandra Fiege Ore and Ches Walton Contributors

Dear Brooklyn Fink, In this letter, we want to address your actions in an open and blunt way from the perspective of two gender non-conforming students in the LGBTQ spectrum.

In February, you made the decision to burn the pride flag on the UBC campus, calling the raising of the flag “a violent provocative act.”

At the time, this caused a lot of

anxiety in anyone who happened to fall under the general banner of LGBTQ, including fellow transgender people whom you appear to see as lesser to yourself.

Everyone thought that the culprit was a straight, cisgender bigot who opposed gay and transgender rights. The knowledge that it was someone that we would consider to be part of the LGBTQ community was far more hurtful.

What you did caused fear and hurt in hundreds of people — not only on the UBC campus, but

across Vancouver. Not everything is about your discomfort.

In interviews, you claim to be triggered by the flag, as it was an unwelcome reminder that the general populace is aware of transgender people. It is as though you never stopped to consider that many students on campus (trans or otherwise) have encountered violent actions of hate similar to what you did. We feel that you thought only of your feeling of selfish hurt and not the emotional reaction that these students

would have in response to the flag burning. Your entitlement is astounding and frankly, embarrassing.

To us, what you have done appears to represent a deeper hatred towards people that are not like yourself. You may be “transsexual,” but it takes a cursory look at your Voat profile — under the name “equine_therapy” — to see that you’ve written deeply misogynist, racist and homophobic content while also urging “white pride.”

The term “transsexual” separates you from transgender people who have not had surgery and thus “aren’t real.” We feel that you resent being “lumped in with the gays and lesbians” because you see them as degenerate in terms of their gender. Based on some of your interviews and comments found on your Voat profile, you seem to believe that gay men are effeminate and lesbians are masculine. You claim gay marriage should not include children because raising a child in “complete masculinity or complete feminity (sic), on purpose is child abuse.”

To us, you seem to see the world in a harsh binary of masculinity and femininity, and you condemn anyone who doesn’t fit into this system. It seems that your greatest anxiety is when “the signalling system” — a complete corruption of the nuances of gender — “of male/female falls apart.”

We understand that you seek to present as the gender that you identify as, but that doesn’t give you the excuse to denigrate those who choose not to. We see your flag burning as an expression of your violent hatred towards these gender nonconforming people. This is not activism. People have worked to change this punishing system, but your actions have brought us back to a time when we burned flags to oppress.

You have given us no reason to be sympathetic towards you. To us, your actions are selfish, they impose your immoral ideals on everyone around you, and they are full of hatred.

And we feel sorry for you. U

9

ADVICE //

Ask Natalie: Getting along with roommates and yourself Natalie Morris Staff Writer

“Dear Natalie, I feel like I don’t like the person I’ve become this year. I was so happy and nice last year, but this year... I don’t know.

My new friends aren’t as cool, I’ve gotten lazy and my grades show. I have no motivation to do anything.

What should I do?”

I’ve seen this before — it happens a lot after first year. You’re thrown into a completely new situation with new people, new responsibilities and new freedoms. You change in first year — everyone does. Maybe you became everything you’ve ever wanted.

Maybe you became someone you don’t really like or someone you would have never thought you would be. That’s okay. We’re not set in stone. We’re always growing as people.

If your friends aren’t “cool” enough for you — although maybe they are and you’re just looking for something else — then find new ones. Join clubs that actually interest you and make friends. Don’t be a Judgey McGee and you should be fine.

As for your personality and lack of motivation, you need to work on that yourself. Force yourself to do things. Give yourself breaks and make sure you stick to it. Reward yourself when you are productive.

If you really need help with who you are, that’s fine too. Professionals know how to help people become the best version of themselves — and I’m not talking about life coaches.

Seek help. The best thing you can do for yourself is take care of your body and mind. Success means very little if you can’t enjoy it.

Finally, don’t let yourself stay down for too long. Vancouver in the summer is pretty dang awesome if you give it a chance.

“Dear Natalie, I moved in with new roommates and I’m having a little trouble with getting along with them. I feel like I’m buying all the dish soap, toilet paper and everything. Should I just stop buying them?”

Everyone can see what they themselves do, but it’s harder to see what everyone else does. That’s why group projects almost never work out in anyone’s favour.

My friend does this thing I think is brilliant. She and her roommates have a list of things they need collectively and they initial beside it when they buy something. That way you can see how often you buy things in comparison to your other roommates. You can see what you haven’t bought in a while and what you seem to be buying the most of.

I’ve been in a house where everyone pitched in money to buy those collective things. Then once a month or whenever it’s needed, someone could take money from the jar and buy laundry detergent, dish shop or whatever.

Alternatively, you could divide what needs to be bought and have everyone claim something to always make sure the house has. There are tons of options for keeping resentment out of the house that don’t involve not doing your part of chores. No one likes that person.

Communication is almost always the answer to these kind of problems, so maybe a house meeting is in order.

It may be awkward or boring, but sometimes you just need to do it. U

// SPORTS+REC

EDITOR OLAMIDE OLANIYAN

WEDNESDAY, MAY 25, 2016

RUGBY //

ATHLETICS //

Bill Situ Staff Writer

director

10

appoints Men’s Rugby finish season undefeated UBC new athletics After repeating as Rounsefell Cup champions, the UBC men’s rugby team can rightfully claim that it had an undefeated record in 201516.

“I don’t think words can describe. It’s certainly not something that we talked about or set out to do, but I think it’s a definite tribute to how hard our guys work and the time that we put in,” said Rameses Langston, Thunderbirds head coach.

During the CDI Premier League Qualification Round in fall of 2015, the T-Birds went on a perfect game streak to earn the top spot in the Mainland Elite. Before heading off to winter break, the ’Birds shut out Burnaby Lake RC 20-0 to capture the Mainland Cup. After a perfect record before the break, the T-Birds returned to the field in January to win their third-straight Wightman Boot — an annual competition between UBC and the University of Victoria Vikes. Against the Vikes, the top team of the Vancouver Island Elite, the ’Birds came out 37-30 to top the opposition.

The ’Birds didn’t finish there.

In the first week of February, UBC headed to Berkeley, California to play the first leg of another coveted title — the World Cup. Here, the T-Birds clinched the first leg with

PHOTO JEREMY JOHNSON-SILVERS/THE UBYSSEY PHOTO JEREMY JOHNSON-SILVERS/ THE UBYSSEY

The team swept up all the major competitions this season.

a 20-15 victory before finishing the second leg 50-3 back at home in March. All the while, UBC’s prowess never vanished as the team crushed one opponent after another.

Then came the final phase — the semifinals and championship.

After an undefeated record, the ’Birds had two more spectacular showdowns against Victoria and Burnaby Lake to cap off the season.

Langston — who is thankful for the contributions of the staff, athletes, parents and alumni of UBC Athletics to his rugby

program — attributes the T-Birds’ successes of the season in large part to the talent that various veteran players brought to the table. “[The veteran players] really set the tone in training and they are outstanding role models for our younger athletes,” said Langston.

The past season also marks the final year for a number of key players, including fifth-year arts student Charlie Thorpe who captained the team during the season. Thorpe believes that while the departure of senior players

will require younger members to step up, the T-Birds will still have the necessary talent to produce successful results next season.

“As far as rugby goes, we had the depth this year that even if we’re losing seniors, I’m sure UBC will still be a force to be reckoned with,” said Thorpe.

For Thorpe, he is also grateful to have finished with the best season of his varsity career.

“It feels great. Never would have expected it to happen and no better way to seal off my UBC career for sure,” said Thorpe. U

ESPORTS //

UBC eSports are uLoL champions, again

This victory makes them the best collegiate team in North America for the second time in a row

Olamide Olaniyan Sports and Recreation Editor

On April 24, the UBC eSports Club finished off the uLoL Campus series by defeating Robert Morris University (RMU) in the grand finals and winning the $180,000 scholarship that came with the title. This victory makes them the best collegiate team in North America for the second time in a row.

The competition’s final four was scheduled on the weekend of April 22 and featured the best teams from all over North America: UBC, RMU, Georgia Tech and the University of Maryland. UBC came away with a 3-0 win against Georgia Tech in the semifinal and then faced RMU — a

school from Chicago, Illinois —in the final for the second time.

The two victories are even more remarkable considering that RMU offers more support to its teams in the form of scholarships. The university was the first United States school to offer scholarships to students for competing in eSports.

This is a contrast to UBC where the team was prohibited from using the Thunderbird name and logo at tournaments.

But the times are changing. After the club took the North American Collegiate Championship (NACC) home for the first time last year and then followed that with an AfreecaTV International Collegiate Championship (AICC), they were thrust into the university spotlight

PHOTO VIA UBC ESPORTS FACEBOOK

and since then have received more support from the general student body.

“The AMS student society is giving us a lot more support. They are helping us get practice rooms in the Nest and so that’s something that is going to be done really soon in a month or two. We’ll be ready for fall,” said Carman Lam, the team’s manager. “For the UBC administration, they haven’t really said anything more, but they did show some support over social media.”

While the NACC was rebranded as the uLoL Campus Series this year and scheduled during PAX East, one of North america’s biggest gaming conventions, the two are essentially the same thing.

“So there’s other activities and lots of booths and vendors going on at the convention as well as this tournament,” said Lam, who is also a co-founder of the UBC team.

The tournament has a single elimination qualifier for each region, which any team or student can register for to compete in.

The eight teams that qualify then make up each region’s conference and then the top four teams from each conference compete in a single elimination playoff. The western playoffs had UBC go head-to-head against University of Washington in the semifinals and then their regional rivals Simon Fraser University (SFU) in the west regional final before advancing to Boston as the west champion.

Surprisingly, for Lam and the team’s coach Simon Jeon, the team’s biggest hurdle on their campaign was not any of the final four teams that they met at Boston. It was SFU. In the greater scope of things, these championship wins signal to the rest of the university that the team plays at a high level of competitiveness and with a large amount of talent and they serve as evidence for why the team should be taken seriously.

“I think all the players just wanted to show that they are the best collegiate team in North America and that its not through any luck or anything else that got them that far last year,” said Lam. “So if we could do it again this year, without the administration’s support, it’s all based on the team’s efforts.” U

Gilles Lepine is the new senior athletics director

Matt Langmuir.

Staff Writer

The Thunderbirds’ extensive search for a new athletics director has finally come to a conclusion. UBC has announced that Gilles Lepine will be taking the helm, effective July 11, 2016.

Fresh off his position as director of excellence for the athletics department at Universite´ Laval, Lepine brings 12 years of experience to the table.

“We’ve had an extensive search and I can’t think of a better candidate,” said UBC VP Students Louise Cowin. “We are so pleased that Gilles has chosen to join us at UBC. He’s been a student athlete, a coach and a very successful administrator.”

Lepine emphasized that he shares a similar vision for the funding of the athletics program as Cowin.

“If we want to grow as a varsity program, the university cannot do that by itself,” said Lepine. “In Vancouver, the potential is incredible what we can do with business people. If we convince [the community] that we are always on the same pattern, meaning we are selling something great, people will be so proud of what we have.”

Lepine suggested that he believes convincing the community, alumni and businesses to support the athletics program will help boost attendance at Thunderbirds games.

“I’m not a guy with some sort of magic power,” said Lepine.

“We are going to work together and the more the community trusts what we are doing, they will bring people with them to the games.”

Moreover, Lepine believes the ability to bring together fans of the event and fans of the competition is another key to filling the stands.

“I was teaching a course at Universite Laval about how to organize sporting events,” said Lepine. “Not competition.

Events. The first thing I said was the difference between events and competition is the spectators ... meaning the students that come to the party for fun and the fans from the sport coming together.” U

WEDNESDAY, MAY 25, 2016

| sports+rec | 11

UNDER THEIR FEATHERS //

Bruce Yari talks baseball, school and Brother’s Osbourne Olamide Olaniyan Sports and Recreation Editor

If you’ve been following the Thunderbird Baseball team, a name you will hear constantly is Bruce Yari. But few really know about him.

He is a first baseman and right-fielder who averaged about .400 for the entirety of last season, and with teammate Tyler Enns gained the Gold Gloves defensive award. His walk-up music as he heads to the plate is a rock song from the 70’s. He is currently jamming to Pawn Shop, the new Brother’s Osbourne album. His biggest baseball inspiration is Bryce Harper because he is, “a pretty greedy player” and “plays the game hard.”

The Waterloo, Ontario native has been playing baseball for as long as he can remember, his entire life. His father played for the Medicine Hat Blue Jays, one of the Toronto blue Jays Single A affiliates, and coaches for Laurier University in Ontario.

“He coached me as a small child growing up, and he’s always been someone that I have always been able to turn to for advice, like with my swing,” said Yari during a phone interview. It was only obvious that Yari would go down that path as well.

“It’s been a sport that I’ve always loved. What I really like about it is that everyone gets their fair chance , you know there’s no running out the clock in it,” said Yari. “You have to play 27 outs on defense, 27 outs on offense, so

you’re going to get you chance to win a game.”

Considering that Ontario has a thriving minor baseball scene, it is puzzling to see Yari so far away from home. He played for the Waterloo Tigers as a kid and the Kitcheners Panthers play in the city next to his own. There is also a junior baseball league in the province. But Yari chose to go to UBC for good reasons.

“So I was looking at colleges, it was kind of between UBC and there was a few colleges in the states that I was talking to. But basically I wanted to be able to stay at home in Canada and get an education here versus maybe a smaller school in the states.” said the fourth-year sociology student.

“It’s not really as transferrable, and then with the UBC baseball program, it’s kind of a premier baseball program in Canada, so it’s pretty prestigious actually. It’s kind of what made the decision,” Yari continued.

“Academics and athletics for sure.”

The program has also grown quite a lot since he arrived. Last winter, UBC unveiled a new training facility with four large batting cages as opposed to their previous centre, a small little bubble that had two kind of small batting cages. Yari also mentions a baseball stadium that is in the works, to be finished in 2018. In short, the future of the program looks promising.

Obviously, like every other student athlete playing at such a high level of competition, there

Yari is a fourth- year sociology student who averaged .400 all season.

are difficulties to be faced. The fact that there isn’t a lack of talented players on the other team does not make things easier “You’ve got a bunch of talented athletes heading out and when you’re facing the opposition, they’re trying to stop you from doing what you want to do and

we’re trying to accomplish something,” said Yari. “So the difficulty is just that there’s a lot of pretty gifted athletes out there and we have to face off against them, we have to put our best up against their best.”

But also, like every other player, the game is the most

PHOTO JEREMY JOHNSON-SILVERS / THE UBYSSEY

beautiful thing, and Yari is frank about what he enjoys most about the game.

“Honestly the best part of baseball is winning the game. So when that final out is made in the bottom of the ninth and you’re on the winning end, its a pretty special feeling.” U

THUNDERBIRD SPORTS CLUB //

UBC Tennis is still going strong

The team is one of 12 Thunderbird Sports Clubs

Marcus Yun Contributor

For the members of the UBC tennis sports club, tennis is much more than just a game that they can play with their buddies on the Place Vanier courts after finals season. It is a game that they need to sacrifice their time and energy to play at a much more competitive level.

The team is one of 12 Thunderbirds sport clubs (TSC) that were introduced in September 2015. This means they are playing at just one tier below varsity. These clubs are labelled as the “newest competitive option for UBC student athletes” on the UBC Recreation website. This category differs from varsity in that varsity teams are fully funded with coaching staff

PHOTO COURTESY UBC TENNIS

and practice facilities, while sports clubs are mostly student-funded and do not get as much support as a varsity status team. The tennis club’s long-term goal is to become a varsity team.

The club hosts big fundraisers and establishes connections for sponsorships in order to fund the team, works to improve public awareness of the team

and establishes links with some community programs. They also allow the players on the team to focus on their tennis instead of logistics, in order for them to play at their very best.

Even before becoming Thunderbirds, the tennis team had been representing UBC at a very high level — UBC was one of four universities that have competed at the national level in 2012. However without sport club status, there was nothing that differentiated them from a regular club. As a result, there was not much support, which would have helped the team in many ways.

However, after gaining sport club status, that has largely changed.

“Overall, UBC TSC is a step up from being [an ordinary] club, but the potential to improve the situation is tremendous,” said Jessica Silva, the club lead of UBC TSC Tennis. “We are now allowed to officially represent UBC in the sport of tennis and that brings more prestige in itself.”

Last season, the UBC tennis team had participated and excelled in Regionals and Western Championships, just failing to step foot into Nationals.

The club put on a great display at the Regional Championships. After a hard-fought finals match with

the Simon Fraser University (SFU) men and a clinical victory for the women’s side, both the men’s and women’s teams became champions and advanced to the Western Championships.

At the Westerns, the Thunderbirds competed against a varsity status University of Alberta team. Unfortunately, Alberta was able to scrape past UBC in very close matches to advance to the Nationals.

Despite the loss, they have reason to be proud of themselves.

The close loss was against a fully funded varsity team and both teams had the reached the finals of the Western Championships.

The team has been shown glimpses of a promising future.

The team’s roster is also a force to be reckoned with. On the women’s team, there are two former NCAA division one players along with two of the top five BC Junior players. Over on the men’s side, the team boasts a former Columbian Junior player, a member of the Dubai Davis Cup Team, and also a couple top BC Junior players.

“We are very fortunate to have elite players at UBC,” says Silva.

With growing support each year, the UBC tennis club looks like it will be reaching greater heights in the years to come. U

12 | GAMES AND COMICs |

WEDNESDAY, MAY 25, 2016

STAY CONNECTED WITH THE UBYSSEY. SNAPCHAT THEUBYSSEY / INSTAGRAM UBYSSEY / FACEBOOK THE UBYSSEY

COURTESY BESTCROSSWORDS.COM

CROSSWORD PUZZLE ACROSS 1- Conger; 4- Fang, e.g.; 9- Ethereal: Prefix; 13- ___ degree; 14- The Jetsons’ dog; 15- Burning of another’s property; 16- Twofold; 18- Babble; 19- Ford flop; 20- Outbuilding; 22- Blind alley; 25- Big gulp; 26- Aconcagua’s range; 28- Sayings; 32- Prohibition; 35- “Inferno” writer;

37- Blank look; 38- Corrida cheers; 40- Refreshment stand; 42- View from Catania; 43- Wrist bones; 45- Melody; 47- Night school subj.; 48- Choose by divine election; 50- I cannot ___ lie; 52- Final Four org.; 54- Dirty rat; 58- Festival; 62- Composer Ned; 63- Some Art Deco works; 64- Ace; 67- Caterpillar competitor; 68- Blow one’s top; 69- Taxpayer’s ID;

70- Effortless; 71- Rot; 72- Paris possessive; DOWN 1- Finished; 2- Musical study piece; 3- Tibet’s capital; 4- Final part; 5- CIA predecessor; 6- Baseball’s Mel; 7- The Stooges, e.g.; 8- Hoax; 9- Ascribe; 10- Biblical birthright seller; 11- Goes bad; 12- Arrow poison; 15- Plant pests;

COURTESY KRAZYDAD.COM

17- Mother of Helen of Troy; 21- Defunct airline; 23- Mont. neighbor; 24- Strong blue cotton fabric; 27- Corpulent; 29- Movable barrier; 30- Sea birds; 31- Marine mammal, secure something; 32- ___ Raton; 33- Greenspan of the Fed; 34- Adopted son of Claudius; 36- Curved letters; 39- Spinning mill; 41- Metric weight; 44- Cut into; 46- Lucidity; 49- The last letter of the Hebrew

alphabet; 51- Soon; 53- Oohed and ___; 55- Refuse; 56- Psychics claim to have a sixth one; 57- Signs; 58- Sign away; 59- Calculus calculation; 60- Hwys.; 61- Traditional passed-down knowledge; 65- Director Jean-___ Godard; 66- Ecol. watchdog;

COMIC PATRICK MURRY AND MIKE PAROLINI/THE UBYSSEY